Vanguard Group Inc. Acquires 25,363 Shares of Middlesex Water Company $MSEX

Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Middlesex Water Company (NASDAQ:MSEX) by 1.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,398,851 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 25,363 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 7.63% of Middlesex Water worth $70,530,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of MSEX. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in Middlesex Water by 8.2% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 13,921 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $892,000 after buying an additional 1,058 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in Middlesex Water by 23.7% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 190,574 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $12,216,000 after buying an additional 36,540 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in Middlesex Water by 4.1% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 59,222 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,796,000 after buying an additional 2,349 shares during the period. Creative Planning boosted its stake in Middlesex Water by 47.1% during the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 4,795 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $260,000 after buying an additional 1,535 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in Middlesex Water by 21.0% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 42,320 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,293,000 after buying an additional 7,335 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.52% of the company’s stock.

Middlesex Water Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of MSEX opened at $51.92 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $966.75 million, a P/E ratio of 21.63 and a beta of 0.78. Middlesex Water Company has a 12-month low of $44.17 and a 12-month high of $62.17. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $52.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $52.59.

Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The utilities provider reported $0.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57. The firm had revenue of $48.71 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $49.75 million. Middlesex Water had a net margin of 22.07% and a return on equity of 9.08%.

Middlesex Water Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.36 per share. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Middlesex Water’s payout ratio is currently 60.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSEX has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Middlesex Water from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Loop Capital set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Middlesex Water in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Middlesex Water from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Middlesex Water currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $56.67.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Robert N. Hoglund bought 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $54.31 per share, with a total value of $108,620.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $108,620. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.92% of the company’s stock.

Middlesex Water Profile

Middlesex Water Company is a regulated utility specializing in the provision of potable water and wastewater collection services to residential, commercial and industrial customers. The company operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries, supplying treated water and effectively managing sewage collection systems under state and local regulatory frameworks. Its core mission centers on delivering safe, reliable water while complying with stringent environmental and public health standards.

Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Iselin, New Jersey, Middlesex Water has grown from a local water works enterprise into a multi‐state utilities group.